When creating the grisaille for a bigger work I really notice how much one stroke can make all the difference. It really has to work for its own sake and while a traditional grisaille does not show strokes I need to in order to create the feeling I seek.
George Inness was quoted as saying, "A work of art does not appeal to the intellect--it does not appeal to the moral sense. Its aim is not to instruct, not to edify, but to awaken an emotion.... Its real greatness consists in the duality and force of this emotion."
And now as I proceed to color, another quote form Mr. Inness, "The arrangement of colours must be kept in harmony because it must reproduce not merely the facts of the landscape, either separately or in mass, but, rather, the effect of the scene upon the painter's feelings, the emotion it evokes. Not alone the grass and the trees, with whatever delicate recognition of gradation of colour, but the mood, of which they are the embodiment and cause, it is to be transferred to the canvas."
10 comments:
Mr. I. would approve of this grisaille; the trees are as moody as spooks.
Wonderful quotes - I wish he was alive today to teach. Forgive me if I missed this somewhere, but are you painting on BFK alone; no pumice? If so, how does this surface affect the way you are able to layer your colors? (I'm still here in Frederick, btw... wanna buy a house? :-)
Hey Sam,
Moody as spooks, heehee, leave it to you.Mr.I is the man.
Hi Donna,
I agree I think we all wish he were alive. I am not sure if he would teach though. You can read his writings; it's as close as we can come.
Very astute, yes, I am painting exclusively on BFK, without pumice. I wanted something smooth. The BFK allows layering, especially when I use fixative (spectra-fix). The only thing it really changes is right now I am using a grisaille and no watercolor.
I am sure I would love to buy your house. I remember your description of your land, the sheep and the border collies next door.
cheers!
hey b,
o so intelectual and a fine artist too.
i always feel like so unread when you
introduce these wonderful quotes by authors
i've never read.
it's a toss up for me ... paint or read ... guess I'll paint.
your painting buddy.
p.s., no caps ... can't do it.
everything you do brings thoughts and ideas to practice. heck, you're better than 4 years of college.
It's great to see the composition progress from the value sketches to this large grisaille, Loriann. Thanks, also, for the Inness quotes. I doubt he would have taught but he'd probably talk your ear off on philosophy, religion, politics, and on painting, too.
hey pb,
love the use of lower case only, so e.e. cummings (a poet who often wrote in lower case.his name was always in lower case.)
the wonderful part about bloggers is that they share and we as artists all know different things. we can't possibly know it all so we just share those small nuggets that have touched us. i always have been a painter and i read when not painting or playing.
hope your arm is feeling better. good to see you back writing your insights. i am looking forward to some more awesome crits;-)
b
Hi Brian!
You are right. I think he would talk your ear off and you would simply learn from listening.
This is very cool.
thanks Jala!
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